The Filmmaker

Christa Haley is an MFA directing candidate at the NYU Graduate Film originally from the North Country of New York State. Her debut short film, Swim Captain, received Best Student Short at the Woodstock Film Festival. Her follow-up, Tragedy Babes, premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest and was released by Short of the Week.

Her thesis short, Body Glitter, is shaped by personal memories growing up in the North Country and is visually inspired by her original photography. For three years, she photographed a rural high school cheerleading team in the North Country, capturing raw, unstaged images embodying the emotional experience of rural girlhood.

The North Country & My Path

Rural working-class voices are nearly absent in cinema.

My perspective as a filmmaker is shaped by growing up in the North Country, a rural working-class community in New York State that my family has called home for generations.

I attended undergrad at SUNY Oswego in the inaugural Cinema & Screen Studies cohort, and studied feminist film theory, which continues to shape my work. I began my career as a full-time production intern on The Place Beyond the Pines while working weekends at Blockbuster. Since then, I have worked as a Local 700 Assistant Editor on projects including Harriet, Mary Poppins Returns, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, and HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage.

Now with your support, Body Glitter will bring a rarely-seen portrait of rural girlhood to the screen.

Contact Us

For additional information, including the project deck, please reach us at: bodyglittershort@gmail.com